The Benefits of Community Fruit Trees

Growing fruit trees at home is a great way to connect with the environment and harness community. The benefits of planting fruit trees range from reduced energy costs to personal reward.

1. Foster local wildlife: fruit trees provide sanctuary and food to an array of animals and insects. In Florida, birds like Cedar Waxwings and Gray Catbirds rely on native fruit trees for nutrients and shelter¹¹. Additionally, flowering fruit trees provide pollen for bees who face growing threats across the country.
2. Free produce: fruiting trees are an investment that pay for themselves. Mature avocado trees can put out more than 200 avocados a year during their season¹², providing ample food and endless opportunities for (free!) guacamole. With such a harvest, it’s easy to share with neighbors–both human and wildlife.
3. Less chemicals: growing fruit trees at home gives the grower more agency and oversight, often allowing for pesticides to be cut out altogether. In turn, organic produce becomes not just accessible, but also cheap.
4. Lower energy costs: One often overlooked benefit of planting fruit trees is the shade they offer. Growing trees around the house, neighborhood or school can significantly lower utility costs–especially in a hot, sunny state like Florida¹³. Thus, the shade they provide saves energy.
5. CO2 sequestration: Trees capture carbon through photosynthesis, binding it with sugar which they use to make the wood that constitutes their branches, trunks and roots¹⁴. Thus forests are a natural carbon sink. In recent years, orchards have been studied for their carbon sequestration capabilities. A 2016 study highlighted how such systems store carbon over time, proving that fruit trees are equally sustainable as they are productive¹⁵.